Hagen Radtke from IOW is visiting Baltic Nest Institute and will give a seminar at the Baltic Sea Centre with the title: Extending the Baltic Sea ecosystem model ERGOM into the sediment - an early diagenetic modelling approach. We are currently extending our ecological model ERGOM into the sediment. The result will be a coupled ecosystem - early diagenesis model. Although some processes are the same in the sediment and the water column, several additional processes, especially concerning the iron cycle, had to be added in the sediment to reproduce realistic pore water profiles. This talk will illustrate three things: - Our approach which processes and state variables to include to make the model able to realistically simulate diagenesis in sandy to muddy sediments with special focus on pH in the pore water - Efficient numerical treatment of vertical diffusion, especially of oxygen, to allow for large time steps in spite of thin layers - Automatic code generation as a method which allows efficient model development The work is part of the project SECOS which aims at quantifying sedimentary services (denitrification, retention, burial of nutrients) in the German coastal areas. You are welcome to join the seminar on March 30 2015, 11:00-12:00 in the Baltic Sea Centre conference room, Frescati Backe, 4th floor.

The BONUS project COCOA (Nutrient cocktails in the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea) held its annual meeting in Helsinki in January 2015, with a strong participation from Baltic Nest Institute. The purpose of COCOA is to quantify the importance of the coastal zone as a filter for nutrients, from a Baltic perspective. The main role of BNI is to build up a database with information about all the coastal areas in the Baltic Sea and contribute with quantifications of its filter functions based on empirical data, measurement data and models. Links: COCOA at Baltic Nest Institutes web site COCOA project web site

The aim of this meeting is the continued development of working relations between the Swedish, Danish and Finnish divisions of BNI. The meeting will also include presentations and discussion regarding our ongoing research projects , updates in the decision support system Nest , cost-benefit analysis, modelling and scenarios of and for agriculture and atmospheric deposition etc.

The conference "Between the River and the Sea" is an international conference intended as an arena for discussions around recent findings in the field of integrated water resources and coastal lagoons management. The conference will also show the major findings from the EC-funded FP7 project LAGOONS - Integrated water resources and coastal zone management in European lagoons in the context of climate change. BNI participation Professor Fredrik Wulff , BNI Sweden, has been invited as a key-note speaker. With his long-term experience in Baltic Sea research and the interface between research and decision making, he will provide key aspects regarding BNI's work with the Decision Support System Nest and the process behind the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan .

Folkemødet is a venue for Danish politicians to debate current political issues in open debates, meeting citizens, the business sector and a range of organizations. Each political party represented in Folketinget has the opportunity to hold a major speech. The event, arranged for the 4th consecutive year, is inspired by the Swedish Almedal Week held in Visby, Gotland, since 1968. BNI participation on Aurora Jacob Carstensen , BNI Denmark, is invited to present research and discuss the environmental state of the Baltic Sea with 3 members of parliament, as well as the general secretary for the largest environmental NGO (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening). The debate will take place onboard the new AU research vessel Aurora , which will port in Allinge on Bornholm.

PhD-student Matilda Valman , BNI Sweden, will hold a Thesis Manuscript Seminar on " Understanding changes in Baltic Sea governance " 9 June 10.00 - 12.00 at the Dept. of Political Science. Opponent: Rebecca Lawrence The seminar will be held in Swedish. Governance of the Baltic Sea The PhD studies, " Equifinality in the Baltic Sea - How can the shift to an ecosystem approach in the governance of the Baltic Sea be explained? ", focuses on the international ecosystem management of the Baltic Sea. Here you can read more about one of her studies of HELCOM, " Institutional stability and change in the Baltic Sea: 30 years of issues, crises and solutions ", published in Marine Policy 2012. The research is part of the Formas-project " Regime Shifts in the Baltic Sea Ecosystem - Modelling Complex Adaptive Ecosystems and Governance Implications" and the strategic research program Baltic Ecosystem Adaptive Management . What is a Thesis Manuscript Seminar? The Dept. of Political Science traditionally appoints a committee to read and comment on drafts of a PhD-thesis. After the seminar, the PhD-student receive a written statement regarding what should be revised and resubmitted, and thereafter the Department approves whether the student can subsequently defend the thesis during the Doctoral dissertation.

The joint 16th Baltic Development Forum Summit and 5th Annual Forum of the EUSBSR, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region , was held in Turku 3-4 June. The events, themed “Growing together”, explored how cooperation can help strengthen economic growth, contribute to sustainable development, and create a strong and integrated Baltic Sea region. BNI participation Jacob Carstensen , BNI Denmark, was invited in a panel discussion on " Successful Cooperation: Research, Development and Innovation ", as well as to a coffee break session with Dr. Kaisa Kononen, Director of BONUS , discussing Baltic Sea research. The session outlined the necessity of true collaboration between academia, industry and policy and showcased good practices on how this kind of collaboration is fostered, encouraged and enhanced. Platform for sustainable growth The forums brought together over 1000 decision-makers from business, politics, international organisations and academia from across the Baltic Sea Region. The aim was to provide a platform to exchange opinions and experiences, discuss key issues and chart the way forward. Key areas addressed included outlooks on governance, the digital economy, regional cooperation, smart urban solutions, blue growth, innovation and competitiveness. Videos from the EUSBRS Forum Follow-up videos from the 2014 and 2013 Annual Forums of the EUSBSR are now available online . The filming material addresses milestones, current challenges and defining elements of the meetings. Organizers The event was organised by Baltic Development Forum and the European Commission and was hosted in partnership with the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the City of Turku . The 16th Baltic Development Forum Summit and 5th Annual Forum of the EUSBSR was part of the Turku Baltic Sea Days 1-5 June 2014 .

Stockholm University's Baltic Sea Centre invites everyone active in marine issues at Stockholm University to the second Baltic Bar. An opportunity to hang out, discuss and get updated on your colleagues marine research! BNI and Ocean Health Index On this occasion the University's strategic research programme BEAM , which BNI is active in, invites you to a presentation by the Ocean Health Index -research team from the University of California in Santa Barbara. The team is visiting Stockholm University to participate in a scientific workshop on how to develop a Baltic Health Index , a joint initiative by BEAM, the Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre and the Stockholm Resilience Centre . From BNI, Marmar Nekoro , Christoph Humborg and Erik Smedberg will participate. Program 17:00-17:30 The Ocean Health Index – a tool for science and management. Ben Halpern, University of California, Santa Barbara How to apply the Ocean Health Index to the Baltic. Ben Halpern/Thorsten Blenckner 17:30 to 22:00 Mingle with bar at cost price (bring cash) BEAM will offer free finger food and a drink during the presentations! More information Read more about the Ocean and Baltic Health Index , tools developed to assess ocean health by integrating information from many disciplines and sectors. Ocean Health Index website Link to the Nature , where the Ocean Health Index was first publised

The Ocean Health Index (OHI), developed by a team of researchers in the USA, was first published in Nature 2012. It is the first comprehensive global measurement of ocean health that includes people as part of the ocean ecosystem. It can be used as a communication tool for scientists and policy makers, describing which actions that are needed and where. Evaluating the health of oceans worldwide The OHI evaluates the world’s oceans according to 10 public goals (see below) that represent key benefits of healthy marine ecosystems. By integrating information from many disciplines and sectors the Index is a significant advance over conventional single-sector approaches to assessing ocean condition. Developing a Baltic Health Index The OHI team, together with BEAM , Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre , will hold a 2-day workshop at Stockholm University, 14-15 May. The aim of the workshop, where a number of leading international experts from research, management and policy are invited, is to further develop a regional assessment for the Baltic - a Baltic Health Index . During the workshop we interviewed 5 of the invited experts, asking them about their views and expectations of the work with developing a Baltic Health Index. Click here to see the clip! From BNI Sweden Marmar Nekoro , Christoph Humborg and Erik Smedberg will participate. Assessing the oceans through 10 goals The Ocean Health Index scientifically compares and combines all dimensions of ocean health – biological, physical, economic and social through 10 different goals in order to generate an objective and accurate snapshot of the health of the section of the ocean controlled by each coastal country. By providing a means to advance ocean policy and compare future progress, the Index can inform decisions about how to prioritize for goals and thereby protect marine ecosystems. 10 OHI goals: food provisioning artisanal fishing opportunities natural products carbon storage coastal protection coastal livelihoods and economics tourism and recreation sense of place clean water biodiversity SWEDISH RADIO: JUST HOW SICK IS THE BALTIC? An interview about our work with developing a Baltic Health Index, made by Swedish Radio's multilingual channel Radio Sweden, is available here. More information about OHI and the Baltic Bar, where the Ocean Health Index is presented can be found here .